House Agrees To Ethics Sanctions

The House has voted to punish members who fail to pay ethics fine by banning them from participating on committees.

Lawmakers approved the measure 147-4 on Wednesday.

House Majority Leader Larry O'Neal said it is designed to so that lawmakers can "sanction our own folks."

The resolution was changed to provide an appeals process for members who dispute that they are delinquent on fines.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in May that 47 state lawmakers owed the state money for ethics violations. The newspaper reported that the sums were relatively small, but some of the fees dated back almost a decade.

The resolution would change House rules, not state law. It would not apply to state senators.